In The Hockey News, Ken Campbell writes that Donald Fehr deserves a raise from the NHLPA because his strategy of waiting out the owners to get a better deal has worked in a big way.

Campbell writes that Fehr has made the owners crazy with his tactics such as arriving an hour late for a meeting and then leaving shortly after. He writes “despite not having a single card to play going into this game, he has managed to take the league to the cleaners every bit as decisively as his predecessors.”

He thinks that Fehr played into the idea that the owners never wanted to cancel this season and by waiting around the players would get a deal that is better for them.

Damien Cox writes in the Toronto Star “He was never going to say “yes” to anything before January 2013. Even this newest NHL offer came after three weeks of Fehr essentially doing nothing but simply waiting, while his membership surrendered $10 million in salaries per day to bankroll his patience and legacy.”

When the CBA gets done in a week or two, please do not paint anyone as a hero or savior. They all failed. Just move on, NHL.

Adam Rotter: It is hard to believe that Gary Bettman and the owners thought that the lockout would drag on this long. The owners, most of them, signed up for a two-month lockout that would see them gain some advantages, lower the players share and start on Thanksgiving. Fehr knew that the owners didn’t want to lose the season and that he could make the bests deal he could out of a bad situation.